A complete reference genome assembly for foxtail millet and Setaria-db, a comprehensive database for Setaria

Foxtail millet (Setaria italica) and its wild ancestor green foxtail (S. viridis), are two C4 genetic model plants known for their desirable traits, such as small size, short life cycle, ease of transformation, and a compact genome size (∼420 Mb) (He et al., 2023). Foxtail millet stands out as the only cultivated species within the Setaria genus. As a foundational crop for ancient east Asian agriculture civilization, it possesses remarkable drought and soil-nutrient deficiency tolerance. This makes it increasingly relevant in the era of climate change.